Our best advice?

Every 30 minutes, look at an object at least 30 feet away for 30 seconds as this can help to reduce strain on your eyes and prevent headaches.

The Dangers of Blue Light: Sleep Loss

In some cases, blue light has been linked to affecting the levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. What this means is that too much exposure to your laptop, tablet or smartphone right before bed can adversely impact your sleeping patterns — also known as your circadian rhythm.

Our best advice?

Avoid reaching for your smartphone or tablet at least a couple of hours before bed. It can be difficult to do, but so can losing out on restful sleep.

Be Aware of the Dangers of Blue Light

As a repairer and re-seller of electronic devices, Target PC Repair certainly isn’t condemning the use of devices that emit blue light; rather, we are suggesting to be aware of the risks and do what you can to mitigate them.

It’s important to underscore that we are not doctors — if you believe your eyes are being strained by your electronic devices, please discontinue use and see a doctor immediately.

If you have any questions regarding smartphones, tablets or laptops, please call us.

There are tons of tablets available today. But what’s the best tablet on the market?

The answer depends on how important each of a number of different factors is to you. When you choose a tablet, you have to consider all of them.

You have a choice of screen size. Pick the one that fits your needs:

7-inch screen: better portability

10-inch screen: better web surfing, video, and gaming

11-inch or 12-inch screen: better for work, but heavier

You want the best performance. Decide what you want to do with your tablet.

Are you looking for a tablet for business, personal use, gaming, photography, family use, or some combination of these purposes?

You want a model that uses the same operating system as your other devices.

Do you use Apple, Android, or Windows on your other devices? You’ll want to decide on a tablet that will be compatible with the OS that you regularly use.

Do you want WiFi only or cellular?

With WiFi only, you’ll be able to get on the web to use your tablet in any WiFi environment, but can reach the web only when you have WiFi . With cellular, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for the service, but you’ll have web access almost anywhere.

Do you need a large variety of apps authorized by the operating system manufacturer?

Apple OS has the largest number of apps available. Windows 8 has the fewest. Android is somewhere in between.

How much do you want to pay? Costs for a tablet vary from $99 to $1,000 or more.

After you’ve answered these basic questions, you can then decide on the next five factors:

Screen Resolution and Brightness

Tablet Weight

Processor Speed

Storage Capacity/Cloud Availability

Battery Life

Tablets are going to differ in weight, speed, battery life, etc. You’ll probably have to compromise on some of these factors to get the tablet that’s best for you. So think about them as you start considering different tablets.

Tablet Ratings can help you decide what’s the best tablet for you.

We’ve gathered tablet ratings from four respected ratings sources. What they all agree on is that the Apple tablet products are at the top of the field. One rating source even referred to the Apple iPad Air 2 as “the gold standard for tablets.” Apple products use the Apple OS.

Another tablet rated consistently high is the Samsung Galaxy Tab series (2, 3, 4). Samsung products use the Android operating system.

Other highly rated tablets use the third choice of operating system: Windows 8. This OS is used by Microsoft Surface Pro, Toshiba Encore, and Asus Transformer Book T100TA – the only Windows tablets rated highly by our sources.

Here are the top 2015 tablets from Consumer Reports, CNET, PC Mag, and Laptop Mag.

What are earbuds?

Earbuds are tiny earpieces that are inserted into your ear canal to provide personal sound from devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. They are portable headphones that can give you freedom from external noise. They can isolate you from what is going on around you.

There are two general styles: in-ear or sealed which actually fit into your ear canal, and traditional which nestle into your external ear hole.

What do earbuds cost?

A basic set of earbuds is usually given away free when you buy a device such as a phone or media player. These free giveaways aren’t always the best quality. If you want to trade up and buy your own earbuds separately, the prices can range from $5.99 up to $300.

What should I look for in a good set of earbuds?

It’s important to know what to look for in earbuds when you start to shop, because there are hundreds to choose from.

You can choose from many qualities and features including:

sound clarity

accuracy

low-end strength

tonal balance

in-ear comfort

bass quality

appearance

weight

design

color

microphone

phone connect-disconnect

volume control

ease of operation by feel

secure fit

crisp high tones

light weight

available remote control

low or no sound distortion

…and so on.

Your decision depends on how you use your earbuds, what you are looking for, and what kind of music you listen to. Some earbud models are better for rock and roll and hip hop, while others provide crisp, clear sound for classical music lovers.

You may have to try out several models and brands to find what is best for you. It is a good idea to tell the sales rep how you intend to use the earbuds, and he or she can guide you to an appropriate pair.

How can I choose the earbuds that are right for me?

Ask your friends which ones they like, try them out at our retail stores, set your price range, check online ratings articles, and ask our team at Target PC about their favorites.

Should I get wired or wireless earbuds?

Earphones can connect either through a 3.5mm cable or wirelessly over Bluetooth, depending on the model.

Wired earphones are generally less expensive, and you don’t need to worry about keeping them charged.

Bluetooth earphones are more convenient because you don’t have to physically connect them to your device, but they need battery power to work. When they’re out of power, they’re out of commission until you charge them again.

Again, it depends what kind of music you listen to, whether you make phone calls while listening to music, whether you want to wear your earbuds at the gym or while running, and other factors. Those uses will determine whether you want wired or wireless earbuds.

So now you know what to look for in earbuds!

There are hundreds of different brands and price points for earbuds.

Have a sales associates can help you narrow your choice when you go in to the store. Just tell them how you intend to use your earbuds, what you want to pay, and what kind of music you listen to.